French Grammar Lessons

Are you fearful about learning French? Put your fears aside!
Some of our new students at Learn French at Home tell us that they are quite intimidated in learning the language of Molière, Voltaire and Rousseau, that they consider to be a very classy and academic language. Find below some explanations on how to learn the French language by putting your fears aside…
Do you know...

In a previous post we provided a list of “Say’s” and “Don’t say’s” of typical French language mistakes that are the result of translating directly and literally from English to French.
These common errors are what differentiate a French native speaker from a foreign French speaker. In this post, we continue with a second list of some of these useful verbs and expressions (published...

To help you to find the best way to learn French and to speak like a French person, we are continuing our series of lists of expressions (published in French Accent Magazine) that one should and should not say if one wants to speak like a French person and be understood immediately by the French.
Many of the typical mistakes made by non-native speakers are the result of translating...

Which French verb to use when you’re visiting a place, a friend, or a professional.
In English, we can use the verb ‘to visit’ for a place, a person, or a doctor.
However, in French, le verbe visiter is only used when a traveler is doing some sightseeing, a guided tour, or a house:
Je visite la Tour Eiffel aujourd’hui. = I’m visiting the Eiffel Tower today.
Demain, je vais...

Through our experience at Learn French at Home teaching French to adults most of whom have either moved to France or else wish to do so, we regularly hear a number of common and very typical mistakes or what you could also call an unusual turn of phrase that most often results from translating directly and literally from English to French. These common errors are what differentiate a...

If you’re wandering in the streets of Paris looking for a shop and you need to ask for directions in French, how will you ask? And even better, what if someone asks you for directions to a place you know, how will you help them? Let’s take a look at the verbs and expressions most commonly used to give simple and yet efficient directions in French.
If you’re lost and cannot find La...

Learning the French language may seem to be a difficult task if you’re just starting out. We’ve put together this list of totally awesome and “free” french language lessons just for you. Our list of free french language courses will have you speaking and understanding basic French in no time. The list contains french lessons in formats such as online tutorials,...

Are you planning a trip to France anytime soon? If so, don’t forget that while you’re there, you might need to clearly communicate your personal contact information. If you have been studying French, you should be able to do so without too much effort. However, it’s not always as easy as one thinks. We’ve noticed with our students at Learn French at Home that...

And more widely, what verb do you use when you want to say that you like cheese a lot but that you like chocolate better?
Have you ever seen a child in France plucking the petals of a daisy one at a time while saying “Je t’aime, un peu, beaucoup, passionnément, à la folie, pas du tout” (I love you, a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all), the last petal determining...

C’est bon ? Non, c’est meilleur ! If you’re learning French, I know that you’ve asked yourself, more than once, should I be saying bien or bon? The same type of question comes up in trying to choose between meilleur or mieux. It is confusing, and since they are extremely present in the French language you need to understand them so you can use them with more...